Lacing device for shoe-uppers



(N0 Mqdel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.. S. A. WEST.

LACING DEVIGE FOR SHOE UPPERS.

Patented Feb. 22, 1898.

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(No Model.) I 3 sheets 'sheet :2.

S. A. WEST. LAOING DEVICE FOR SHOE UPPERS.

No. 599,485. Patented Feb. 22, 189a INVENTOR A TTOHNEY (No Model.) 3Sheets-Sheet 3.

S. A. WEST." LAOING DEVICE FOR SHOE UPPERS.

No. 599,485. Patented Feb. 22, 18 98.

WITNESSES INVENTOH am a,

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STILLMAN A. TEST, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

LACING DEVIICE [FOR SHOE UPPERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,485, dated February22, 1898.

Application filed May 5, 1897. Serial No. 635,274. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STILLMAN A. Wnsr, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLacing Devices for Shoe-Uppers, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention.Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of theupper part of a modified embodiment of my invention. Fig. 4 is a topplan of the holding-jaws and gage-bar of the modification shown in Fig.3. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the detached gage-bar shown in Figs. 3and 4:, and Fig. 6 is a view of a shoe-upper after having been laced bythe use of my device.

111 the manufacture of shoes the upper is formed complete and ready forattachment to the sole-inner or outer, as the case may be. The upper isthen placed upon a last in order that when it is drawn to the sole orinsole it may have the proper conformation. The last fits tightly in theupper, and the upper is stretched and tightly fastened to the sole orinsole in the processes of lasting and of sewing. In order that in thecase of laced shoes the shoe should fit properly over the instep of thelast, it is necessary to insert a lacing-cord through the eyelet-holesformed in the free edges of the upper and that said lacing-cord shouldbe tight in order that the upper shall fit properly upon the last andsubsequently upon the foot of the wearer. The length of the lacing-cordused in this preliminary lacing determines the distances of the eyeletededges of the upper from each other during the subsequent processes towhich the upper is subjected. This operation has heretofore beenperformed by hand with results which vary considerably,because of thefact that the length of the lacing-cord is not properly gaged.

For the purpose of gaging the length of the lacing-cord, and hencedetermining the distances of the eyleted edges of the upper from eachother when the upper is lasted, and in order to provide a means forgiving a varying distance of said edges from each other, I have producedthe device described 7 and claimed in this application, whereby I secureuniformity of results, ease in use, and simplicity and cheapness in themanufacture of the device itself.

In Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings the upper and lacing are shown indotted lines, while the machine proper is shown in full lines.

In Figs. 1 and 2 a suitable standard A is provided with a fixed jaw B,which for convenience is cast integral with said standard, and ajournal-bearing A for a shaft (3, the ends of which project on eitherside of the hearing A. Upon one end of the shaft 0 is a collar 1),adjustable on the shaft by means of a sets'crew 12 carrying an integraldepending arm B which bears on its lower end a jaw B, corresponding inform and position to the fixed jaw B. The other end of the shaft 0 bearsa collar b adjustable on the shaft by a set-screw Z1 and integral withthe collar is a lever-arm B so thatby rocking the leverarm B themovable-jaw arm B is rocked, as shown in full and dotted lines in Fig.2, and the movable jaw B moves to and from the fixed jaw 13. From thearm 13 depends a rod B having adjusting-nuts Z1 thereon, and a coiledspring 19 around the rod B and pressing at one end against the foot onof the standard A and with the other end against the ad justing-nuts Z1so that the amount of pressure of the jaw B toward or against the fixedjaw B may be suitably adjusted. The rod B may pass through the table a,upon which the whole device rests, and by a ring b or in any suitablemanner may be connected with a treadle or other device under thetable,where by the movable jaw B may be opened by the foot of theoperator.

To a suitable portion of the frame A, such as the lug D and preferablyabove the level of the jaws B B is fastened a gage-bar D, the under sideof which is above the jaws B B and which extends substantially parallelto said jaws to a suitable distance, as hereinafter described. Thegage-bar D tapers toward the free end d. If the jaws B B are now openedby depressing the rod 13 the eyeleted edges x of an upper X, flatagainst each other, are inserted between said jaws. The said upper isthen brought against the under side of the gage-bar D, and the front endof the quarter X is brought to register with the extreme end d of saidgage-bar. The jaws are then brought together, and inasmuch as thedistance from the upper edges of the jaws to the lower edge of thegage-bar is made sufficient for that purpose the two'rows ofeyelet-holes m in the two eyeleted edges are brought opposite each otherand stand between the upper edges of the jaws B B and the under side ofthe gage-bar D. The position of the upper just described gives a uniformposition of the eyeleted edges of the upper with reference to thegage-bar, and when the rod B is released the jaws B B clamp the upper ina position so that the lacing-cord may be passed through theeyelet-holes and around the gage-bar D with great ease.

As before stated, the gage-bar tapers and decreases in size toward thefree end. In Figs. 1 and 2 this gage-bar is of uniform transversethickness, but tapers longitudinally. The lacing-cord Y is preferablypassed through the pair of eyelet-holes nearest to the front end of thequarter and is knotted, as at y, around the bar D. Thence the lacingextends through the series of eyelet-holes for a suitable distance,passing through the same and around the bar D until it is knotted again,as at y, at a point which is far enough from the front end of thequarter to lace the upper wherever the last can press against the samein the subsequent operations. In Fig. 1 this lacing extends for thedistance of seven eyelet-holes.

I find it convenient to wind the lacing around the gage-bar and throughthe eyeletholes in the manner shown in the figures substantially asfollows: After having passed the lacing through the opposite andregistering eyelet-holes nearest the front end of the quarter I knot it,as at y, and then taking one end of said lacing-cord I pass it throughthe next pair of eyelet-holes and aroundthe gage-bar and repeat thisoperation until as many pairs ofholes are laced as desired. The otherend of the lacing-cord I pass through the pair of eyelet-holes next tothe last ones laced, counting from the front end of the quarter, wind itover the gage-bar, but in the opposite winding from that of thefirst-named end of the lacing-cord, and then knot the two ends, as at Y.On releasing the jaws B B from the upper the tapered form of thegage-bar D permits the upper and lacing-cords to be strippedlongitudinally from the gage-bar D, and when the edges of the upper arepulled apart they take position substantially such as are shown in Fig.6, whereby the eyeleted edges are held by the lacing-cord in definitepositions with reference to each other, which may be either nearlyparallel or at considerable angle, depending upon the length of cordused and the knottings thereof, which in the instances shown are fixedby the size and shape of the gage-bar D. The upper is then ready for thesubsequent processes, and,

according to the taper of the gage-bar D, which may be uniform orVariable, as desired, the space between the eyeleted edges of the upperis definitely determined.

In Figs. 3, 4, and 5 is shown another form of gage-bar. This gage-bar isuniform in Ver- -t-ical thickness, but tapers, as seen in Fig. 4,

in a transverse plane. This gage-bar D has a transverse longitudinalslot d dividing the free end into an upper portion (1 and a lowerportion (Z The portion 01 rests between the jaws B B and is capable of aslight rocking motion around a pin or screw D which holds the bar to theframe A,whioh motion is guided by a pin D moving in a socket inthe lugD". The gage-bar, therefore, is movable to permit one edge 'of the upperY to be inserted between the side of the gage-bar and the fixed jaw B,while the movable jaw 13' opens when moved by the rod B to permit theother edge of the upper to be inserted between said movable jaw and thecorresponding side of the gage-bar D The upper edge of the arm 01 is soadjusted with reference to the slot 01 that when the edges of the upperare brought level with the upper edges of the arm (1 the eyelet-holes ofeach quarter register with the slot d The free end 61 of the arm 01 isin such a position that it registers with the front end of the quarterin the same manner as has been described with reference to the free endcl with the gage D. The lacing is performed, in the case of themodification just described, in the same way as with the form of mydevice first described herein, and

when the lacing has been performed the upper may be stripped from thegage-bar, because it is tapered and in the same manner as abovedescribed.

In this specification and in the claims following the jaws B Bconstitute a holding device and a clamping device for the eyeleted edgesof the upper. The gage-bar determines both the length of the lacing-cordfor lacing the edges of the upper at predetermined distances apart andfor determining the position of the upper longitudinally with respect tosaid gage. It is further understood that the words eyeleted or eyeletsinclude not only the tubular eyelets, such as are usually employed inshoes, but also mere eyelet-holes without eyelets inserted therein andalso lacing-hooks and other similar devices, audit is further to beunderstood that I do not limit the scope of my claims to any greaterextent than the state of the art necessarily requires.

In the drawings the upper is shown with the vamp on it. My device,however, is particularly applicable to the lacing of an upper before thevamp is attached thereto.

What I claim is 1. The combination of a holding device for ashoe-upperand gaging means for determining the length of lacing-cord forlacing the 2. The combination of a holding device for a shoe-upper andgaging means for determining the length of lacing-cord for lacing theeyeleted edges of said upper at predetermined distances apart and foradjusting the positions of said edges with reference to said gagingmeans.

3. The combination of a clamping mechanism adapted to hold the eyeletededges of a shoe-upper, and a gage-bar fixed in position adjacent to saidclamping mechanism and around which a lacing-cord is wound for 1acingsaid eyeleted edges at distances apart predetermined by the form andsize of said bar.

4. The combination of a clamping mechanism adapted to hold the eyeletededges of a shoe-upper, and a tapered gage-bar fiXed in position adjacentto said clamping mechanism and around which a lacing-cord is wound forlacing said eyeleted edges at varying distances apart predetermined bythe taper of said bar.

5. The combination with a frame having a fixed clampingjaw and aspring-operated movable jaw, for holding the eyeleted edges of ashoe-upper between said two jaws, of a gage-bar fixed to the frame andadjacent to said jaws, and against which the upper is held by said jaws,whereby the lacing-cord may be passed through the eyelets and aroundsaid bar for determining the distances of said edges from each otherwhen laced.

6. The combination with a frame having a fixed clamping-j aw andspring-operated. movable jaw, for holding the eyeleted edges of ashoe-upper between said jaws, of a tapered gage-bar fixed to the frameand adjacent to said jaws, and against which the upper is held by saidjaws, whereby a lacing-cord may be passed through the eyelets and aroundsaid bar for determining the varying distances of said edges from eachother when laced.

7. The combination with a holding device for holding the eyeleted edgesof a shoe-up-- per, of a gage-bar for determining the position of saidedges longitudinally with respect to said gage-bar.

8. The combination of a holding device for a shoe-upper and a gage-barfor determining the length of lacing-cord for lacing the eyeleted edgesof the upper to determine the distance of said edges from each otherwhen laced and for determining the position of the upper longitudinallyWith respect to said gage-bar.

9. The combination of a holding device for a shoe-upper and a taperedgage-bar for determining the length of lacing-cord for lacing theeyeleted edges of the upper to determine the distance of said edges fromeach other when laced and for determining the position of the upperlongitudinally with respect to said tapered gage-bar.

- STILLMAN A. WEST. lVitnesses:

W. O. KOHLMETZ, C. R. Oseoon.

